(19)
(11) EP 0 878 692 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
12.04.2000 Bulletin 2000/15

(43) Date of publication A2:
18.11.1998 Bulletin 1998/47

(21) Application number: 98303347.3

(22) Date of filing: 29.04.1998
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)7: G01C 19/72
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AT BE CH CY DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE
Designated Extension States:
AL LT LV MK RO SI

(30) Priority: 12.05.1997 US 854664

(71) Applicant: Litton Systems
Woodland Hills, California 91367-6675 (US)

(72) Inventors:
  • Auerbach, Daniel E.
    Thousand Oaks, California 91360 (US)
  • Cordova, Amado
    West Hills, California 91307 (US)
  • Goldner, Eric L.
    Valencia, California 91354 (US)
  • Higbee, John E.
    Simi Valley, California 93065 (US)
  • Steele, James R.
    Jackson, Wyoming 83002 (US)
  • Wong, Ka Kha
    Westlake Village, California 91361 (US)

(74) Representative: Kensett, John Hinton et al
Saunders & Dolleymore, 9 Rickmansworth Road
Watford, Hertfordshire WD1 7HE
Watford, Hertfordshire WD1 7HE (GB)

   


(54) Fiber optic gyro with optical intensity spike suppression


(57) An interferometric rotation rate sensor is arranged to overcome effects of the unavoidable generation of intensity spikes in the modulated optical output. An electrooptical device (30) is located within the optical path of the sensor for receiving the optical output signal from a sensor coil and transforming it prior to application to a photodetector (32). The electrooptical device is driven by a periodic electrical signal with a period equal to the loop transit time of light travelling through the sensor coil. By synchronizing the periods of attenuation with the predictable presence of spikes in the optical output, valid optical signal information is preserved while gyro electronics are sheltered from the results of optical intensity spiking.






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